


Daughter of Odin

by TaleasOldasTimeandSpace



Series: Balrog 'Verse Asteroid Belt [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Balrog is on the case, Balrog the Bilgesnipe, Darcy's got a secret, Darcyland, F/M, Fic Giveaway, SHIP DARCY WITH ALL THE THINGS, ShieldShock - Freeform, Steve wants to know what it is, and now I'm picturing him in a deerstalker, but that's okay, he's not Sherlock Holmes, in Obi-Wan voice: that's no dog..., more like Watson, poor marshmallow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 13:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace/pseuds/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace
Summary: Steve isn't nosy, no matter what some people say.  He just has a healthy curiosity, especially where Darcy's concerned.  It's not his fault she's obviously hiding something...





	Daughter of Odin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phoenix_173](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenix_173/gifts).



> About a month ago, I ran a small giveaway on tumblr in honour of [I Was Not Expecting This!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7353127) reaching 10,000 hits. Phoenix_173 was the winner, and this is the result.

‘WHOOHOO!  MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS, PEOPLE, IT’S PUPPY DAY!’

The yell was the only warning Steve got before Darcy turned the corner and slammed into him.  The impact was enough to rock him back on his heels, and his hands automatically went to her waist to steady her.

‘ _Oof_.  Nice catch, Captain,’ she said, patting his biceps as she pried her face from his chest.  ‘Guess all that ultimate frisbee you play really does pay off, huh?’

‘Well, you know,’ he shrugged modestly, ‘clean living…’

She narrowed her eyes.  ‘I have personally seen you consume an entire tray of cinnamon rolls in one sitting, after you spent the day headbutting gigantic mutant hamsters.  I’m not exactly sure what to call that, but “clean living” it is not.’

His eyes glazed over slightly.  ‘Those were really good cinnamon rolls.’

‘I know.  I made ’em.’

He tried to look contrite, but between the lingering memory of the cinnamon rolls and the Disapproving Avengers Wrangler Face Darcy wore, he suspected he wasn’t very successful.  Time for a strategic subject change.  ‘So, is there a reason you’re trying to give Pietro a run for his money, or are you just trying to trample innocent supersoldiers for fun?’

‘I know exactly what you’re doing, but I don’t care.’  She grinned, bouncing on her toes.  ‘It’s puppy day!’

‘Is that like Talk Like a Pirate Day or Pi Day?’  Darcy and Sam made sure to keep him up to date on all the extra holidays that had sprung up in the years he’d been frozen, so that he could, in Sam’s words, “celebrate in style, as was his patriotic duty.”

‘No, although I bet there is a Puppy Day out there.  We should google it.  No, this is the day my brothers bring Balrog from home!’

That made a little more sense.  Darcy was surprisingly tight-lipped about her childhood—her home was always referred to with a vague wave to the north and a ‘you wouldn’t know it,’ her parents, Anthony and Rene, both worked in the government, and she had two older brothers, Chris and Tom (otherwise known as the Oversized Labradoodle and Emo Middle Child Drama Queen, respectively).  Her dog, Balrog, was the only member of her family she spoke of at length.

‘That’s today?  No wonder you’re excited.’

‘Yup!  His papers finally came through, thanks to Tony, who I’m bribing with a truly ridiculous amount of baked goods in exchange for him helping to get Balrog licensed in New York.  Now I can stop suffering and be reunited with my…’  Frowning, she leaned back to address the ceiling.  ‘What are we calling him again, JARVIS?’

‘Mr. Stark has registered him as a Yukon Elk Hound, Miss Lewis.’

‘Yukon Elk Hound, right.’  She snorted, rolling her eyes.  ‘Tony has a weird sense of humour.’

‘Mr. Stark also wishes me to inform you that you should make your way to the quinjet landing pad immediately, or he will refuse delivery of the creature.’

‘Tell Tony to keep his goatee on, I’ll be there in a minute.  He’s just a wimp because he didn’t have pets growing up,’ she told Steve, waggling her eyebrows conspiratorially.

He ruthlessly squashed the spike of jealousy he felt at the knowledge that Darcy shared her more of her life with Tony than, well, _him_.  Not that she _had_ to tell him every detail of her life, but anything she was _willing_ to tell him…  It was at that point he finally realized he’d been essentially embracing her for the last couple of minutes.  Releasing her with a start as his ears turned pink, he took a large step away from her.

‘I, uh, won’t keep you, then,’ he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.  Her gaze darted to the flex of his bicep and she swallowed hard, giving him the courage to add, ‘Would you like some company?’

‘Sweet Mew-Mew, yes,’ she breathed.  He could see the moment she realized what she’d said.  Her cheeks turned bright red and she blinked rapidly.  ‘UM.  That is, I mean, nooo, that’s okay.’  She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.  ‘Balrog’s probably twitchy from the trip, and I don’t want to overwhelm him with a whole bunch of new people.  But, um, you could swing by the common room later and meet him then.  If you want.  I’m going to be baking with him.  Well, I say with him, I mean I’ll be baking and making sure he doesn’t steal Tony’s bribe, but, y’know...’

He grinned.  ‘I’d like that.’

‘Well then.  It’s a date, I guess.’  She gave him two thumbs up.

‘Miss Lewis, Mr. Stark wishes to inform you that if you are not at the landing pad in five minutes, he will have Thor throw the hellbeast off the Tower.’

‘Gotta go.  Later Steve!’  As she took off down the hallway, he could hear her yelling, ‘Tell Tony that Thor wouldn’t dare, and if he so much as suggests the idea, I’ll send his baked goods bribe to Hammer Industries!  With a card that says, _A tribute to genius, with love, from Tony!’_

* * *

 

Steve wasn’t sure exactly what he’d expected Balrog to be like, but it paled in comparison to the reality.  He could also understand the uncertainty about the breed.  If Darcy hadn’t said he was a dog, Steve would never have guessed.  Small bear, maybe.  A moldy, mangy bear.  Or even one of the wargs from those _Lord of the Rings_ movies Darcy made him watch.  Whatever Balrog was, he had the most unnervingly intelligent golden eyes Steve had ever seen on an animal of any kind.

‘Are you _sure_ he’s a dog?’ Steve asked, keeping a wary eye on Balrog.  The...dog...was lounging on the common room couch while Darcy used the kitchen to make Tony’s bribe.  ‘He doesn’t _look_ like a dog.’

She grinned and handed him a spoonful of batter.  ‘Trust me, I know exactly what Balrog is.’

That wasn’t particularly reassuring.  The batter, however, was delicious, and if it didn’t quiet his misgivings, at least it made them easier to ignore for the time being.  Easy access to refined sugar was amazing that way.

‘I think the term you’re looking for is “eldritch horror,”’ Tony said as he entered the common room.  Steve noted he kept as far away from Balrog as possible on his approach to the kitchen.  ‘Is that my bribe?’  He swiped a fingerful of batter straight from the bowl and neatly avoided Darcy’s headslap.  ‘Why isn’t it done yet?  I did my part to let the hellbeast exist on the planet, didn’t I?’

‘It’ll be ready when it’s ready.  You can’t rush art, Tony.  And don’t call him hellbeast, you’ll hurt his feelings.’

Steve caught Balrog’s eye over the couch.  He didn’t look like his feelings were hurt.  If anything, he looked smug.

‘Nightmare creatures don’t have feelings.’

Darcy rolled her eyes, elbowing Tony out of the way so that she could start pouring batter into pans.  ‘You’re just saying that because you didn’t have pets growing up.’

‘Did too!’

‘Did not!’

‘I had Dum-E!’  Tony slapped the counter.  ‘Who needs pets when you have robots?  Useful, helpful, not-at-all-terrifying robots!’

‘Uh, yeah, remind me again how many movies star vicious, terrifying, extremely murdery robots?  What was that one…’  She tapped her chin, then snapped her fingers.  ‘That’s right— _Terminator!’_

Tony crossed his arms.  ‘Be nice or I’ll rescind the paperwork,’ he said flatly.

Darcy clasped her hands under her chin and looked at him with big eyes.  ‘Tony, have I ever told you you’re my most favouritist Avenger ever?’

Laughing, he patted her head.  ‘Base flattery will get you everywhere, Gremlin.  As will fresh-baked sugary goodness, so less talking and more baking!’

‘Yes sir, Mr. Iron Boss Man Stark, sir!’  She tossed him a cheeky salute.

‘Right, well, my work here is done.  I expect sugary goodness in my lab by the end of the day, Lewis!’

She waved a distracted hand at his retreating back.  ‘Yeah, yeah.  Don’t short out your arc reactor.’

Tony paused next to the couch, eying Balrog warily.  ‘Given your dad’s track record, I’m surprised he let you keep Balrog.’

She snorted.  ‘Given my dad’s track record, he didn’t have any choice in the matter.  I saved the world, after all!’  Steve wasn’t sure, but it sounded like she muttered _No thanks to him_ under her breath.  But that couldn’t be right.  What could Darcy’s dad possibly have done that Darcy, Jane, Thor, and Dr. Selvig hadn’t?

Tony shook his head.  ‘Don’t get cocky, kid.’

Darcy stuck her tongue out as the door closed behind him.

Steve cleared his throat as she put the pans in the oven.  ‘So, um, I was wondering if, maybe, the next time you take Balrog out, for a walk or something,’ he sucked in a deep breath, ‘ifyouwouldlikesomecompanyandmaybegetsomecoffeeorsomethingtogether?’

She shut the oven and turned slowly, blinking.  ‘I…what?’

‘Would you mind if I come with you when you take Balrog out, and we could get coffee?’  He met her eyes steadily, resolutely ignoring the burn of his cheeks.

She grinned at him over the granite island, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses.  ‘That could be fun!’  Holding up a finger, she added, ‘Though I would like to take this opportunity to stress that any such outing will involve walking only.  Sam’s told me what you’re like to run with, and I absolutely refuse to court death in such an insane fashion.’

He ignored the jab, happy to focus on confirming the date.  It was a date, wasn’t it?  “Getting coffee” was a modern euphemism for going out, right?  It wasn’t anything like fondue...right?

With his luck, it probably _was_ like fondue.

‘Maybe we could go once Tony’s bribe is done?’

Her face fell, her gaze skittering away from his.  ‘I can’t then.  I have a thing.’

Speaking of modern euphemisms.  It wasn’t as bad as saying she needed to wash her hair, but it felt similar.  Maybe he’d misjudged her friendliness for interest.  ‘Oh.  Of course, I wouldn’t—’

‘I mean,’ she cut in over his attempt to backpedal, ‘I have to...um, call...my dad.  Y’know, check in, let him know that the boys dropped off Balrog okay, tell him I’m eating regularly, all that jazz.  But, maybe tomorrow?’  The hopeful puppy eyes she shot him at the end of her counter-offer reminded him oddly of Thor when the Asgardian was trying to convince either his teammates to “meet him in glorious battle” or Jane to take a break from Science! and join him for pop tarts and stargazing on the Tower roof.  Come to think of it, that's probably where Darcy had learned them.

‘Sure, that sounds swell.’

‘Groovy.’  She grinned brightly at him.

He answered her smile with his own, though he suspected his edged more towards goofy.  Probably time to beat a strategic retreat, before he managed to stick his foot in his mouth yet again.  He muttered some excuse that was probably as convincing as her “thing” and took himself off to the safety of the training floor, where he could hit things in peace.

* * *

 

Later, as he rode the elevator from the training floor to his rooms, he contemplated whether he had a shot with Darcy or not.  He was terrible with women at the best of times, and Darcy was harder to read than most.  Sometimes he thought she liked him as much as he liked her, but other times it seemed like she wasn't comfortable around him at all.  It was very confusing.  Remembering the way her nose had wrinkled as she teased Tony earlier, he grinned, and his fingers itched to add to the already incriminating number of Darcy-sketches that filled his sketchbook.  Yes, he really was that much of a hopeless, lovesick sap.  He groaned and let his head fall back against the wall of the elevator—not too hard, Tony still made pointed remarks about the last time he'd dented one of the elevators.

The slowing of the elevator jolted him from his ruminations.  He shuffled to the side to make room for the newcomers, just in time for the doors to slide open to reveal the unnerving golden gaze of Darcy's dog.  Steve raised an eyebrow.  Surely Balrog hadn't summoned the elevator...right?

Balrog grinned slowly, revealing a mouth full of far too many teeth.  Visions of wargs stalked through Steve's head.

‘Um, hey, Balrog.  Going up?’ he asked lamely.

Rather than answer— _really, Steve?  You expect to carry on conversations with dogs now?_ —Balrog cocked his head and leaned into the elevator, just enough to delicately catch Steve's arm in his mouth and tug him into the hall.  Steve was so shocked he didn't resist until the elevator closed behind him.

‘This isn’t my floor, you know.’  Steve could have sworn that Balrog smirked around the arm still in his mouth as he continued to pull his prize down the hall.  They stopped at the end of the corridor, and Balrog dropped Steve’s arm and tossed his head at the closed door in front of them.  ‘That’s not my room,’ Steve pointed out. 

Balrog gave him a flat look and tossed his head again. 

Steve crossed his arms.  ‘I’m not going to break into somebody’s room just because a scarily intelligent dog wants me to.’

Balrog rolled his eyes— _rolled his eyes!_   This was _not_ a normal dog—and opened the door himself.  How, Steve wasn’t entirely sure.  It wasn’t like Balrog had opposable thumbs or anything.

Balrog nudged him through at the same time he realized the room wasn’t empty.

‘...you can understand my concern,’ a man said.  Steve didn’t recognize the voice, which worried him.  He wasn’t on a first-name basis with the entirety of the Tower residents by any means, but he should at least know the voice of anyone cleared to be on the upper levels.  ‘After all, I cannot protect you should your identity be revealed.’

‘Father, I know you worry, but there is no cause for alarm.’ 

_That_ voice Steve did recognize, and it sent a chill down his spine.  Why on _earth_ would Darcy be talking with someone about hiding her identity?  And since when did she talk so formally? 

‘I am perfectly capable of defending myself, as I think I’ve proved quite handily.  And as I’ve already told you, Anthony Stark is the only one who knows, and he would never betray me.  Surely you can admit that his help has been invaluable,’ she added tartly.  It was a flash of the Darcy he knew—or thought he knew.  ‘I could never have brought Balrog to Midgard without him.’ 

Midgard?  Balrog was an alien?  Actually, now that he thought of it, that made a lot of sense.

Balrog took the sound of his name as his cue to trot across the room to Darcy’s side.  Steve poked his head around the corner in time to see her smile and rub Balrog’s head between his ears.

‘What of SHIELD?  Doubtless they would have been able to bring the beast just as easily.’  The man—Darcy’s father?—didn’t sound convinced.  His voice was coming from a small device Darcy held.

  _An interstellar cellphone,_ Steve thought, slightly hysterical.  And he’d thought conventional cellphones were neat. 

She still hadn't noticed him, so he leaned against the wall to wait until the conversation was over.  Yes, he was eavesdropping, but he felt only slightly guilty about it.  His curiosity overrode the pricking of his conscience.

Darcy sighed.  ‘Not just as easily.  You know the politics that would arise by involving SHIELD.  And I rather doubt anyone besides the Son of Coul would be willing to lend their aid to the endeavour.  Anthony is content with pastries and permission to examine Palpatine.’

‘I still like it not.’  He sounded grumpy.

‘Anthony is my friend.  As are the rest of the Avengers, and shield brothers and sisters beside.  If they were to find out, what of it?  I trust them, Father.  Can you not trust me?  This is the reason you sent me to Midgard, after all,’ she pointed out, her voice coaxing.

Darcy’s father—Odin, it had to be.  Steve might, according to _some_ , have poor judgement, but he was not stupid—sighed the longsuffering sigh of fathers of independent daughters everywhere.  ‘Of course I trust you, my daughter.  I would never have let you leave the palace, never mind another realm, if I did not.  But I will never stop worrying about you.  It is rather my prerogative, is it not?’

Darcy laughed.  ‘And I love you as well, Father.  Give my love to Mother, will you?’

‘Naturally.  Do keep an eye on those brothers of yours.  You know what mischief they get into when left to their own devices.  Farewell, Daughter.’

The connection broke, and Darcy relaxed, her stiff posture deflating as she wrapped her arms around Balrog.  ‘The whole of the nine realms know what trouble those two dingbats get into when left to their own devices,’ she told him.

‘So when you say your parents work in the government, you mean they are the government.’

‘Steve!’ she yelped.  She whirled in her chair, overbalancing and throwing herself to the floor in the process.  Steve lunged forward and caught her before she could faceplant into the carpet.  They stared at each other for a long moment, noses almost touching.

‘We really have to stop meeting like this,’ Steve said finally.

‘Agreed.  Though in my defense, that one was on you.’

‘Fair enough,’ he said, helping her up.  ‘In _my_ defense, however, I had an accomplice.’  He nodded at Balrog, who blinked innocently at them.

Darcy narrowed her eyes.  ‘I'll bet you did.  Well.’  She crossed her arms and took a deep breath.  ‘I'm sure you have questions.’

‘Just, hmm, three.’

She blinked.  ‘Really?  Okay then, let's hear them.’

‘Is your name really Darcy?’

‘I've gone by Darcy so long it might as well be, but no, it's not my birth name.  On Asgard I'm called Vár.  But, um, I prefer Darcy.  Only my fa—only Dad calls me Vár anymore.’

‘“Dad” being Odin.’  She nodded.  ‘Which makes Thor and Loki your brothers.’

‘Yup,’ she said, popping the P dramatically.  ‘If you don't have any other questions—’

‘Those weren't questions, they were observations.  I've still got two left.’

‘Oh, well, carry on, then.’

‘Thanks.  What exactly is Balrog?  He's from Asgard too, right?  There's no way he's a dog.’

‘Balrog is a bilgesnipe.’  With a complicated twist of her fingers—which looked a touch too theatrical to be strictly necessary—Balrog shimmered purple briefly.  When the glow died down, the mangy fur was replaced with sleek green and bronze scales.  His front legs now ended in claws—no wonder he'd been able to open the door—and his mouth was filled with more teeth than Steve was comfortable picturing around his arm.  Crowning it all was an impressive set of wide, branching antlers.

Steve eyed him for a minute.  ‘Wow.  No wonder Tony was nervous.  I'm impressed he agreed to help at all.’

‘Eh, Balrog's harmless.  More or less, anyway,’ she added quickly when Steve raised a dubious brow.  ‘And you know Tony—he'll do just about anything for a chance to play with cool new toys.’  Pulling out her taser, she twisted her fingers again to reveal what looked like a miniature crossbow.  ‘You know Chewbacca's bowcaster?’  He nodded. It was another series they'd marathoned together, along with half the Tower.  The Avengers and their cohorts took _Star Wars_ very seriously.  ‘Well, Palpatine is a lot like that.  Actually, he's exactly like that.  I may have accidentally given George Lucas the idea.  This isn't my first time on Midgard—er, Earth, you know.’

‘I didn't say anything.’

‘You were thinking.  It was loud.’

‘Can you read minds?’  That could be useful.  Embarrassing, but useful.

‘No, thank Mew-Mew.  I've got a low-level psychic bond with Balrog, but that's the extent of my mental powers.’

‘Good to know.  Just one more question, then.’

‘Better make it a good one,’ she said lightly, but Steve could see the tension in her shoulders.

‘Is this why you keep turning me down when I ask you out, or do you just not want to go out with me?’

Her mouth dropped open.  ‘Uh, what?’

‘Because if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop asking.  But, well, if it's because you didn't want me finding out about...this,’ he gestured between her and Balrog, who was watching him flounder with unholy glee, ‘then it's a little late for that now, don't you think?’

She continued to gape at him, and he was about ready to tell her to forget the whole thing and let him slink off into embarrassed oblivion when Balrog coughed and nudged her arm, making her jumped.  ‘No!  That is absolutely not a problem,’ she said loudly.  ‘That is, you're right, I was trying not to blow my cover, and you're also right, there's not much point in that anymore.  Thanks to some people who have apparently never heard the phrase “loose lips sink ships,”’ she added with a glare at her unrepentant companion.

He exhaled with a whoosh and grinned.  ‘I’m really glad to hear that.’

‘I thought you might be.’  They smiled goofily at each other for a minute, then she raised her eyebrows expectantly.  ‘Well, um, in that case, Steve Rogers, would you go steady with me?’

‘I thought you’d never ask!’

**Author's Note:**

> Darcy has been preparing to be the Asgardian ambassador to Midgard for years. She spends a few years on earth every couple of decades before returning to Asgard for a few years, both to visit family and make sure she can return without anyone getting suspicious. She was actually supposed to be returning to Asgard in a few months when Thor got the boot. They recognized each other, of course, and Darcy tased him so he wouldn't blow her cover (because he was *this close* to greeting her by name and giving her a bear hug. Thor does not do well with subterfuge). Between the bifrost getting smashed and the Avengers and whatnot, she's way overtime on her stay, but it's not as big an issue as it has been in the past.
> 
> She's had several earth contacts over the years to help her assimilate and get her the documentation she needs to pass unnoticed. This time around, it's SHIELD, and specifically Coulson (which is partly why he was assigned to New Mexico when Thor dropped in).
> 
> Tony was trying to be nice and upgrade Darcy's taser. He didn't realize it was actually a glamour for her semi-sentient weapon, and he pouted for days when she wouldn't let him take it apart. Palpatine's a lot like Mjolnir, and we're just going to say that it means Flame of Wrath in Asgardian. Because we can.
> 
> Vár is a handmaiden of Frigga, and is associated with oaths, vows, and contracts. It seemed appropriate for poly-sci Darcy.
> 
> Sorry for the note spam, but this generated more headcanons than I could work into the fic.
> 
> You'll notice that I've started yet another series. I'm going to use this for stories that don't quite fit in my Soulmate series or Darcy/Balrog adventures, but are at least tangentially related to them. Trying to keep things tidy :P
> 
> As always, you can leave prompts in the comments below, or come [shoot the breeze](https://taleasoldastime-andspace.tumblr.com/ask) on tumblr. No smut, slash, or polyships, please and thank you.
> 
> Namarie, my little bilgesnipes!


End file.
